


Our Burdens

by Artemis12



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Gen, Mind Control, Multi, Nightmares, Season 3 Spoilers, and hot coco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-17 13:29:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8145784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis12/pseuds/Artemis12
Summary: Five's having some trouble so Sam comes up with a plan.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PhoenixRayne44](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixRayne44/gifts).



> There are spoilers up to season 3 mission 48. Takes place somewhere between mission 48 and 50

                “There you go, Five. I knew you could do it. Just like I said right? Just like peeling off a plaster. You are so wonderful, Five. You’ve got the ZRD, ja? Bring it back to me.”

                “Man, I love you, Five. You are just … you are just too wonderful. How did I get so lucky to find you? Gaia is really smiling on us today. You know I –“

                “Five! Five, stop!”

                “Who’s that, Five? Oh, it’s Louise. Come on, Five, forget about her. Come back to me.”

                “Five, stop, please. Don’t do this. Don’t listen to her.”

                “She’s trying to stop you, Five. You can’t let her stop you.”

                “I know what you did to Sam. But that isn’t you, Five. I know you. I know you wouldn’t hurt him. It’s her. She’s the one making you do all of these things. You’ve got to fight her. You can do it.”

                “Five, listen to me. She’s catching up to you. She is going to try and stop you. We can’t let that happen. It’s alright, Five. I’m here for you. It’ll be just like with Sam. You’ve still got your axe.”

                “Oh thank goodness you stopped, Five. I was beginning to worry that she had her claws in you for good. You’re smiling at me. Why are you smiling at me like that? Five, Five what are you doing? Five, no, stop! Five, don’t! No! Five … AGGGHHH!”

                Five bolted upright so fast they fell out of bed. They scrambled to the edge of the small room before they realized where they were. A shaky sigh of relief escaped as they drew their knees to their chest, holding on tightly to the tears that desperately wanted to escape.

                _A dream it was only a dream. It didn’t happen that way._

Over and over these words ran around Five’s mind, but they offered no peace, no comfort. They had to get out of that room; they had to see everyone for themselves.

                The sunlight burned their eyes when they stepped out. Stepping into the sun after leaving their room meant only one thing; Five had overslept.

                They dashed across the township to the comm shack. But they slowed to a stop just outside the door. With shaking hands they cracked the door open, praying that the old hinges wouldn’t squeak. Luck was not on their side when one of the hinges gave a long groan and the person in the comm shack chair turned towards the door. Sam immediately gave Five a large grin as he finished talking to a runner in the field. Five did not step further into the room for fear it was just another cruel dream and the nightmare was what was real.

                Sam shut the mic off for a few moments and went to bring Five inside. For a few seconds they were scared but the relief that showed on Five’s face when they felt Sam’s hand in theirs was almost palpable. _It’s not a dream. Sam is real. Sam is safe and alive._ And that meant the image of Louise on the screen throwing a wave to the camera was also real.

                They sank into the chair with their head in their hands. They had been so scared. They had been afraid that …

The entire time that Five sat there Sam had been studying them. He noticed the purple bags under Five’s eyes, the way that Five’s breath shook, the way that Five tried to keep their hands steady. He had seen these signs before. Sam suggested that Five head over to the hospital to see if one of the doctors can give them something to help. Five didn’t ask what Sam meant by help, they didn’t need to.

After promising to do just that Five left. Right before the door closed Five heard Sam telling Louise to come on home.

                The trek to the hospital happened at a much slower pace compared to the mad dash to the comm shack. Once inside Five headed towards the office in search of one of the doctors. They stopped just past the threshold before quietly, slowly backing out and leaving. Dr. Myers and Dr. Cohen were in there. They were talking with each other, just talking, but the smiles on their faces showed a happiness that neither of them had seen for quite some time. There was no way that Five was going to interrupt that. After everything that those two had been through they deserved a break.

                The day passed slowly for Five. Each waking moment was filled with thoughts of what if. It seemed as if that was all they thought lately. As nighttime drew closer those thoughts changed to how much they didn’t want to go to sleep, didn’t want to go back there. They didn’t want to have that dream, no nightmare, again. They had it too many times already.

                A knock on their door caught them off guard, but it was only Sam standing there with a mischievous smile on his face. The last time he had that look he nearly got himself and Five caught doing something they shouldn’t have. If it hadn’t been for Five’s quick thinking and Maxine’s understanding who knows what Janine would have done after catching them up wandering about after curfew.

                “Hey, Five. I thought that since you didn’t have a very good night last night I thought I’d do something to help you a bit. I thought that you could use some hot coco, and I was going to bring you some here in your room but I didn’t know that they had moved the mix. So, I need your help in getting it.” Sam’s face was getting redder by the moment.

                Five just looked at him with their arms crossed, waiting for him to continue.

                “Turns out that they had moved the mix to Janine’s kitchen because people kept trying to take some without permission. I guess a few people had the same idea as me, huh? I need your help sneaking into Janine’s house and getting it.” That explained why Sam is so nervous.

                Sneaking into Janine’s house was begging for something bad to happen. She was a light sleeper at the best of times and sneaking into her house was just asking for her to wake up. But there was no way that Five was going to pass up this opportunity to have some fun with Sam.

                Sara’s lock pick training had finally come in handy. Although breaking into Janine’s house probably wasn’t quite what she had in mind when she insisted on teaching Five.

                The hinges on Janine’s kitchen door were mercifully a lot quieter than the ones in the comm shack and the two of them entered without a sound.

                A little rummaging in the cupboards revealed the sacred can of hot coco mix. Sam was so excited that they had found it that he pumped his fists in the air, hitting the cabinet door and slamming it shut. The two intruders looked at the cabinet door with eyes wide. Then in sync they turned for the kitchen door trying to make a break for it. They stopped the instant they heard a gun cock. There on the stairs was Janine with her pistol. And she did not look happy.

                “What are you two doing in my house?”

                It was evident to all three of them that the gun was pointed directly at Five. After everything that had happened it was easy to assume that Janine had jumped to the worse possible conclusion. It was her job to ensure the safety of Abel and all who resided within it. She would protect it from anyone who threated the safety of her township … anyone. That is why she is the leader.

                “It’s my fault, Janine. Five hasn’t really been sleeping well and I thought that making them some hot coco would be a good way for them to relax,” Sam said directing Janine’s attention to him.

                Janine thought about this reason for a little while before lowering her gun.

                “Alright, Mr. Yao, you and Runner Five can have some hot coco, but only on the condition that I join you. I think we could all use some.” A small, tired smile graced her lips. It was at these times that Sam could see just how much running Abel weighed on her. She was constantly having to make choices that affected all of the population of Abel, and at times the population of the world. One mistake and hundreds of lives would be lost. She truly had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

                Janine left the room to put up her gun as Five and Sam prepared the coco. Milk was a precious resource in the apocalypse so they had to use water, but none of them minded. The three of them just sat around the table in Janine’s kitchen sipping coco. For a short time they were able to forget their responsibilities, their mistakes, their burdens.  For the first time in a long time they all felt at peace. Maybe, just maybe they might be able to make it through.


End file.
